Gall Force Fan Fiction ❯ Another Journey, Another Story ❯ Chapter 15

Gall Force: Another Journey, Another Story

Part Fifteen

 

Lieutenant-Commander Sara shook her head as Gail finished her summary of the Lady Grace's mission, her golden hair falling into her eyes. "I don't know if I should be impressed or frightened by this," she said frankly.

 

"It's a gamble," Gail acknowledged, "but an educated one." The redhead leaned forward as the taller woman said, "The colony ships left Solonoid space on this vector, and if they made it through Paranoid space undetected they might be intact on the other side of the region."

 

"If," Sara sighed.

 

Catty observed them both silently, the purple haired communications officer's expression utterly impassive. Finally Danielle had to speak up, the intense tactical officer asking them, "So what are we going to do with her?"

 

"Scrap her," Sara said crisply.

 

"For what?" Catty asked calmly. "I have committed no crime and am a serving officer of this ship," she paused, "whatever my origins."

 

Gail held up a hand to stop them, "I've asked Chief Karin to come up here, let's hold off talking about this till then."

 

It took only a few moments for the chief engineer to arrive, the woman looking visibly tired from all her efforts today. "Ma'am," Karin looked tired but satisfied, "my people have most of the supplies offloaded, we're now just sorting and stowing it away."

 

"Welcome," Gail gave her a chance to settle into a chair then looked over at Catty, "we were just discussing how to handle her situation." Allaine gave Karin a nod in greeting, Danielle looking cool and composed as she kept an eye on Catty. Sara flashed a weak smile at her, while Catty studied her impassively.

 

"So what's the plan?" Karin asked.

 

"That's what we need to determine," Allaine said seriously.

 

"The android is a security risk," Danielle said simply, "I suggest confining her to quarters for the remainder of the voyage."

 

"Not good enough," Sara was intense, "she'll find a way to betray us to the Paranoid the first chance she gets. We have to take her off-line."

 

Gail listened thoughtfully, "Karin, from what Catty tells us her sister was compelled to help the Paranoid by her programming. If you were given access to Catty's programming could you prevent that from happening again?"

 

Even Catty seemed surprised by that suggestion as silence swept across the meeting room. Karin studied Catty a moment, her thoughts clearly racing then said, "I think so, though I'm going to have to have Davies and the Commander help. Just sorting through the number of data files her system requires is going to be hideously difficult."

 

Danielle was frowning slightly as she challenged her, "But what if there's some hidden command you don't find?"

 

"That's why I want Davies and Allaine assisting," Karin answered dryly.

 

"So you'll keep her as part of your crew?" Sara looked mildly ill at the idea.

 

"Even with your ensigns we're still running badly understrength," Gail reminded them all, "we can't really afford to loose a crew member."

 

Catty herself had the oddest look on her face as she was working through what was going on. Finally she said, "Normally I would be compelled to resist, but this particular situation has not been included in my situational responses."

 

"Will you consent to the procedure?" Karin looked at her intently.

 

"You're asking permission?" Danielle asked disbelievinglly.

 

Allaine spoke up, "She may or may not be a sentient being, but she is a member of the Lady's crew. Hell yes, we ask permission."

 

"Thank you, Commander," Catty nodded. She looked over at Karin, "Yes, you may alter my directives, though I ask that my personality parameters be left intact."

 

"We'll be combing through all your programming very carefully," Karin said seriously, "but as long as we don't find any hidden landmines it should be fine."

 

Sara really looked like she wanted to object to all this, but seeing the way things were going she kept her mouth firmly shut. Instead she asked them, "Is your crew going to be all right working along side an android?"

 

Gail looked over at Karin and asked her, "I suppose most of the downside team knows that Catty is an android?" When the engineer nodded ruefully Gail sighed, "Then the way rumors spread half the crew knows by now, if not more."

 

"Not to mention whoever was on the bridge when Karin passed that piece of information along to us," Allaine added.

 

Danielle tapped the shiny table thoughtfully, then said, "I think most of the crew should be able to handle it, ma'am."

 

"I hate to give you additional work but reprogramming Catty is nearly as important as moving the star destroyer power core," Gail said seriously. She looked over at the engineer and asked, "when can you start on this?"

 

"The power situation is stable for now," Karin consulted a data pad thoughtfully then said, "we can probably start rigging something up to work on Catty in a short time."

 

"Then with the Captain's permission let's get started on this," Allaine rose, Karin and Catty following as they left the room.

 

"I've got duties waiting for me on the bridge," Danielle waited for Gail to nod before getting out of her chair with a impish smile. "I haven't hit mid-watch with a combat drill in a while," the woman looked nearly devilish as she left.

 

"She sure enjoys her work," Sara rubbed at her eyes tiredly, the Lieutenant-commander slumping in her chair tiredly.

 

"You clearly still have issues with Catty," Gail noted, "though I appreciate you not saying anything more in front of the others."

 

Sara smiled grimly, "A good crewmember supports the captain's decisions, even if she privately objects." She rose with a visible wince ad asked, "Could I get a guide down to sickbay, I should have that eager doctor of yours give me a once over?"

 

"Then you get some rest," Gail said as she summoned an on duty crew member.

 

The door to the meeting room slid open a few moments as the crisply dressed ensign entered, her short pink hair a bit messy, somehow. "Ma'am?" Max saluted.

 

"Escort Sara down to sickbay," Gail ordered.

 

"Yes, ma'am," Max saluted, leading the other woman out eagerly.

 

It wasn't until she was sure they were both gone that Gail allowed herself to relax, putting her face in her hands as the stress of the last day washed over her. The tension of waiting for the salvage teams, the Paranoid attack and their near escape all had been building up in her. A few tears trickled free and ran down her face, the artificial air flow drying them up quickly.

 

Finally Gail took a deep breath, sitting up as she tried to regain her composure. "I can do this," she sighed, getting to her feet. Checking the chronometer she blinked, realizing her shift had ended hours ago. 'Do I go to bed,' she wondered, 'or stay awake for the next disaster?'

 

"Captain," a surprised voice said.

 

Turning Gail saw the lanky figure looking at her worriedly, brown hair falling into her eyes. A name was quickly dragged up from the recesses of memory, "Lynn, correct?"

 

"Yes ma'am," Lynn nodded, clearly impressed that the captain had actually remembered her name. A bit tentatively she said, "Pardon my saying so, but you look like death warmed over."

 

Gail blinked in pure surprise, then suddenly found herself laughing softly, Lynn's increasingly worried looks spurring the laughter on. Holding herself up against the wall Gail wiped at her eyes, "Sorry, it's been a long day."

 

Lynn smiled slightly, the lines around her eyes and mouth showing that she did so often. "Then I'm glad I was able to brighten it a bit," she said, waving to Gail casually before confidently striding off down the hall.

 

Gail watched her go, smiling honestly for the first time in days. 'I've met that pilot before,' she thought, 'I wonder when?'

 

To be continued....